Legaia: Return of Evil
by L. Damarik Laizare
Summary: Two years have passed and the world is at peace. Legaia has returned to it's former greatness. Sashia, though, hasn't had such luck. She finally gets what she wants, but is a message from Hari really all it's cracked up to be?
1. The Letter

Legend of Legaia: Return of Evil  
As told by: Stephen Karpa II  
  
Introduction:  
  
_'In the end, the Ra-Seru had bound together to defeat the Mist. It was thier sacrifice that brought Legaia to the prosperity it has today. If not for them, Legaia would still be covered in the accursed blanket of evil.'  
  
_-Gala-  
  
So ended the note to Sashia, priestess of Hari and Biron subject. With a quick sigh of relief, she folded the note gently, placing it inside the pocket of her wrinkled, aurburn temple robes. Removing a few strands of her long, green bangs out of her eyes, the woman strode across the polished hardwood floor of the Vidna temple to her altar set into the east wall of the branch monestary.  
  
With the morning sun streaming into the monestary from the window behind her altar, the statue of Hari seemed to glow with the radiance of a god, rather than a prophet. Though now gone, the temple was kept in Vidna's Biron branch monestary as a rememberance to the three faces of Hari, the little children lost in a pillar collapse underneath Octam, one in which sent his true Temple, the Palace of Meditation, falling into the depths of the earth.  
  
'What I would have given to see him once in my life...' Sashia thought as she gazed upon the bronze and golden symbols on the altar. The message she had reserved for the three teenagers, Vahn, Noa and Gala, had been given to her by another priestess who worked for Hari directly. She had never even seen the prophet.  
  
With grace and elegance in each step, Sashia strode through the halls of the building, a small brass gong in her left hand, and a ringer in the right. The sound of sleeping monks rose through the passage, soon to be awoken by the gong in her hands. Finally, reaching the end of the passageway, outside of the last two rooms, Sashia brought the ringer into the air.  
  
_'Sashia...'  
_  
The woman stopped dead in her swing.  
  
_'Danger arises anew. To the three Ra-Seru Heroes this message through you does go.'_  
  
There was an astral presence in the air, hovering about the priestess as she stood frozen in place, awaiting the next words of her spiritual guest.  
  
_'From the ethereal palace of Rem and Tieg, Hari sends this to you, Sashia. Seek out the Heroes of Ra-Seru, plus four. Danger again sets time into more. Evil from the past again shows its' face. To threaten the whole of the human race. Now go, find the three plus four, with stones of great light, a power of yore. These beings are hidden with great disguise, so hurry dear woman, use your more than your eyes. Search land, water, air and all, for time till the end, too short does fall...'  
  
_Sashia couldn't believe her ears, nay her mind. The voice of Hari has just spoken directly to her, given her a warning.  
  
'Who are the four?' She wondered to herself. 'And how will I find these stones, whatever they may be?'  
  
_'To seek out the stones of power near lost, through danger and toil, you will undergo at a cost. Death shall be close by, through water you must fly. The Earth's limits are done, to the light your quest now begun. Fire, air, and thunder are no more, but can be brought back, you need them to soar. Upon the surface of time, your quest does drift. From the water, to the air, your soul will shift. Seek out the stones of Light, Earth and Dark. Water shall come after, swift as the lark. Fire, Thunder and Air, are soon behind. Now to the heroes and the four, they are YOURS to find.  
  
This is the last I can tell you.  
  
These are the words of Rem and Tieg. Be careful Sashia, the dangers are untold and the hardships are unnumbered for those who stray from the path of nomality. You are now one of those.  
  
The power of the Genesis Trees is still with you.'  
  
_The gong dropped with a clatter, awakening the monks. Soon followed Sashia, lost in herself. Who were the four? Where had the three youths spread off to? Where were these stones hidden? How was she supposed to find everything in a short amount of time?  
  
With a start, the monks arose to find thier elder unconcious on the cold floor...  
  
Chapter One: The Search Begins  
  
With a bag packed and ready to go, Gala stepped onto the carpeted landing of the monestary stairs, facing the passageway that would take him along the Ancient river to the Water's Cave, the cave that he had traveresed almost two years ago.  
  
Taking one last look at the inside walls of the mountainside that held the only home he'd ever known, Gala stepped through the doorway, striding past the fans, once used to keep the mist away, now used for ventillation in the hot summers. The folded note in his hand was the only clue as to what he'd be getting himself into.  
  
_'Master Gala,  
  
Please report to the Vidna Branch. Mistress Sashia has need of seeing you immediately.  
  
May Biron Be with You.  
Teacher Sando'  
  
_He had met Sashia once, back when he, Vahn and Noa had first entered the windy city of Vidna. Gala had immediately recognized the Biron insignia on the flag of the building and, knowing that he wouldn't be welcome, turned away, only to have Vahn and Noa drag him inside it anyway. Inside, they met with Sashia, a priestess of Hari and Mistress of the Biron branch.  
  
It was there that they had first encountered a prophecy involving them, one made ten years previous to thier arrival at her temple, telling of their eventual arrival in Octam. That was how he remembered the woman. As someone to hold information. It was a bad way to think of her, but with the arrival of this letter, it seemed that once again, she would be telling him something important.  
  
As the bright sun peeked over the mountainside, casting shadows into the river valley that ran between both the East and West Voz forests, Gala strode lightly through the tall grass, keeping his eye on the caves in the distance. It was there that he would go, as done once before, and as once before, it is there that he'd pass through, purchase a Door of Wind, and complete his travel to Vidna...

* * *

"Come quick! Cort is about to make his first steps!" A young man called. He stood opposite a wicker table where a silver haired child, one green eye, one red, was standing, holding onto his only balance, the same table.  
  
Just then, a fifteen year old girl ran into the somewhat darkened. room, her usually well kept ponytail laying on her shoulders in a big, pink mess. She crouched down into a sitting position, eyes alight with wonder as the young child stepped away from the table.  
  
"That's it buddy, come on." The guy coaxed, holding his muscled arms out towards the two year old. "You can do it."  
  
As baby Cort took another step, the teen-girl edged forward on her hands and knees, not worrying about dirtying the blue one piece she wore, the tan strapless top hanging down like a flap in the breeze. She kept getting closer, green eyes watering slightly as she gazed upon the baby wobbling across the room.  
  
"Go ahead Cort, you're doing good!" She said, watching each step that was made, each rebalance taken as his tiny feet hit pock-marked grooves in the floor.  
  
As the child took each step, getting closer and closer to the man, each moment of tension passed. Each inch closed in the gap was an inch of achievement. Finally, within reach of the strong arms that reached for him, Cort toppled forward, giggling madly.  
  
"Yay, that's our little man!" The girl piped up from her spot on the floor. She crawled the rest of the way over to the child and the man, a wide smile spread across her face. "You did it! You walked Cort!"  
  
The baby, as if able to understand his triumph, waved his arms up and down, laughing and wriggling in the guy's arms and trying to return to the girl.  
  
"Okay, chill out buddy, you can go back to sissy." The man handed Cort back to the teenager. "Seems you taught him well, Noa."  
  
"Of course, I didn't want him to get hurt, now did I?" Noa snuggled up with her baby brother, tickling the tip of his nose with her finger.  
  
The man sighed, pushing some of his hair out of his face. He stood up from the floor and placed a hand on the wall, leaning into it a little. Noa looked up at him momentarily.  
  
"Are you alright?" She asked, a hint of worry apparent in her voice.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, it's just that those beasts outside the town have become a little more....harder to defeat anymore. The last one got me good in my right leg. Been hurting for a day or so now."  
  
"Would you like me to get you something for it?" Noa offered quickly as she always would, but he turned it down with a wave of his hand.  
  
"No, that's alright. I wouldn't want you to trouble yourself."  
  
With that, the man made to leave, turning for the door.  
  
"Wait."  
  
He stopped for a moment.  
  
"Why did you REALLY come back?" The question shot right through him. He couldn't tell her yet. No way. If he did, there would be complications and then they'd just end up getting mad at each other.  
  
"I told you, I came looking for you because after that day back home, you simply vanished with your brother, not so much as a word of good-bye. I was worried, it seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, you even keep saying that you hate to be alone. You said it the first time we met."  
  
Noa stood up, holding her drooling brother to her shoulder. "Yes, I suppose I did. But now I'm not alone anymore. I've got a whole town of people I can talk to, that and little Cort here keeps me busy." She untucked a handkerchief from her back pocket and wiped Cort's mouth off, drying her shoulder as well. Reaching down and placing the rag on an end table, she moved over and sat down on the couch next to the table. "There has to be another reason."  
  
"Well, if there was, I'd tell you." He was becoming aggravated. Her constant questioning of everything always did tend to bug him. "I have to go. Father is waiting for me to return home and it will be a while till they get the Flying Carts back from Octam, so I'd better hit the road, the station is a good two day's run from here."  
  
Noa sighed heavily, her head dropping slightly. "Alright, I guess it'll be a while before I see you again, right?" There was that emblem on the back of his vest. It had always caught her interest, but she'd never said anything about it before.  
  
"Yeah, I won't be back for a month or so."  
  
"Tell me one thing before you go." Noa quickly spit out.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Where did you get that vest from? With the flame on the back?"  
  
The man slid his vest off and turned it around to look at the fire pattern. It was strange that he'd even gotten this vest, seeing as fire was his natural element. He'd found that out one night when the Mist had invaded his home town.  
  
"My sister had made this for me. Father always said I was like a fire, always flickering, getting stronger, then weaker again. But the last two years have seen a major strength, huh? I guess I broke the cycle of strong to weak and went from weak to strong for the final time." He slid the vest back around his shoulders, tucking his white shirt beneath his belt and once again starting for the door.  
  
"Oh, I see." Noa hated to see him leave. It'd been almost three months since she'd seen him, since she'd left the village with her brother. She'd traveled with Gala to Biron monestary, then went on through the wind and water caves, stopping in at Jeremi to visit the Sky gardens, and continuing on to her homeland of Karisto.  
  
"See ya around Noa."  
  
Noa sighed again.  
  
"Bye Vahn."  
  
Unknowingly, Cort had fallen asleep on Noa's shoulder, so, being very careful so as not to wake him, she slowly got up, walked through her kitchen, past her room, and into Cort's room. Placing him gently in his bed, she tucked him in, reaching up to close the curtains, and kissed him gently on the forehead before exiting his room.  
  
As Noa returned through the hall to the kitchen, she stopped to take a look at the home she had gotten for herself. It had taken most of her share of the money they'd had at the end of their journey to purchase everything inside, leaving little for food and clothing. She still had yet to find a job, or someway to make money, and money was already running extremely tight.  
  
Going back to sit on her couch, she looked around her livingroom. On the wall opposite of her, she had a small fire-place filled with wood, ready to be lit when needed, a couple ornaments on the mantle-piece. She had her prized Bathing-Suit from the Dance Revolution in Sol that she'd won, framed above the mantle. Next to her couch, on the righthand side, there was her endtable that she'd salvaged from the neighbors, an old oil lamp that Cara and Grantes had given her sitting atop the it's small, wooden stand.  
  
On her left wall, there was the entrance to her home, a window on each side of it, and above that, a painting of her, Gala and Vahn standing next to the Sky Garden's Genesis Tree. An extremely grateful resident of Jeremi had done it after they'd left, and had just gotten it to her a few days ago.  
  
On the right wall of her home, due north to the outside world, a candlabra hung, candles lit to shine some more light into the room. Also on that wall, a painting of Noa with a wolf, one with a green seru atop it's head. The Jeremi painter had done this out of request of Noa, only because she'd told him the story of how she'd grown up, living with Terra as her only guardian. He'd done it for free, seeing how much it had meant to her.  
  
And at the highest point in the house, on a shelf above everything else, was her old battle claw, the one she'd first recieved from Vahn the day they walked into the Drake Castle courtyard. It was the first thing he'd bought for her. Eyeing it with high regard, Noa got up off the couch, and pulling a stepstool out of the kitchen, climbed up to the shelf and grabbed hold of the weapon.  
  
After fastening it to her right hand where she'd always worn her weapons, Noa, cleared the room of objects that might get in her way. The endtable was moved, the couch pushed back against the quarterwall between the livingroom and the kitchen.  
  
Noa stood in the center of the room, taking her fighting stance as she'd always stand. Noa stopped for a moment, briefly touching the skin on her left arm where Terra used to hold. There were still small marks from where the Ra-Seru held onto Noa's arm, burned there by the Rouge in the Seru-Kai with his Rogue Flame. Marks that Noa would always remember, that would keep her looking back for Terra as someone to confide in, even though she was no longer around.  
  
With her stance re-applied, Noa ran through the basic arts that Terra had taught her growing up in Snowdrift Cave, from the Lizard Tail backflip kick, to the Rushing Gale triple mid-air assault kick. Saving one particular art for last, Noa ran through the basics again, finally moving to her Hyper Arts, though they no longer worked without Terra.  
  
Noa ran through the Frost Breath twisting hand-arm assault, the Vulture Blade knife-hand maneuver, and finally, her Hurricane Kick, the multiple kick attack that Terra had taught her from a book.  
  
Finally, Noa backed up and took in a deep breath. Inhaling deeply a few times, releasing it slowly, and doing the same over and over, Noa, stepped back as far as the structure of the house would allow her.  
  
With a high/low kick, she went into the Lizard Tail, moving in for another double high kick, actuating into the Swan Driver mid-air roundhouse kick, following up with a quick low kick and finally, with a jump back...Noa paused momentarily.  
  
She thought of Terra and Vahn, and Gala. Thought of how useless she was always being back then, even if she was a nimble fighter. How she'd always be the first to fall in a tough fight, no matter how much she tried to dodge attacks launched on her.  
  
With a backflip onto the wall, Noa somersaulted forward, driving her foot down hard into the ground, an energetic force of energy following behind her like an aftershock. Dragon Fang....a combination Vahn had taught her when they were staying in Underground Octam. He'd taken all night to choreograph the moves, ending in the powerful energy assault of the final hit. He'd made it specifically for her. Something Noa would never forget.  
  
Just then, a voice rang through the house.  
  
"Excuse me miss, but am I correct in believing you have a child in your care as of this moment?" A strange man said from the open doorway of her home.  
  
Noa stood in the middle of the room, breathing in hard gasps. She slid the battle claw off of her hand and returned it to it's shelf, beckoning the man inside.  
  
"Yes, is there something I can help you with?" Noa asked frankly, an astranged look on her face as she watched the man sit down on the still moved couch.  
  
"It seems that you've had trouble recently making ends meet, am I not correct?" The person asked, looking about her home with an obvious look of distaste.  
  
"No, I'm having a perfect time getting the things I need. Why, who are you to ask such a question?"  
  
The man stood and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. He held it out to her so she could read it. What was written on the paper filled Noa's heart and mind with dread.  
  
"I am the regent childcare agent. I've heard some disturbing reports about this household. I had no idea that a fifteen year old girl was owner of this house and caretaker of a child yet. Certainly you'd see it a good idea that we take care of your child for you." The man's face never shifted, it's emotionless expression tearing at Noa with the idea that they wanted to take Cort away from her.  
  
"No, I and my brother will be staying here I think." She said firmly. With that, she pointed an unwavering finger to her doorway. "I think it's best if you leave this place now sir, you're just wasting your time."  
  
The man sighed and stood, his long brown coat that almost touched the tops of his ankle-high boots falling down around him like a cape of sorts.  
  
"I'm sorry miss, but I can't do that. I have to take the child with me. My superiors have given me instructions at to bring him back under our care as you are unable to do so for yourself. It is apparent by the looks of this place that you can barely care for yourself on your own. Now..." The man began to make for the hallway in the kitchen. "...where is the boy?"  
  
Noa immediately lept over the quarterwall to the kitchen, knocking various things over in the process, and ran to block the hallway off from the person's path.  
  
"I said Cort will be staying with Me." Noa said, raising a fist to the man in the long coat.  
  
"And so barbaric yet. I wish not to resort to violence miss, but I have a job to do and will not hesitate to use force if neccessary for the well- being of this child." The man raised his left hand, fingers ready to snap.  
  
"I SAID NO!" Noa moved forward, grabbing the man by the right arm and tugging him towards the door with an unimaginable speed. Flipping his coat over his head, she latched onto the man by the beltloop on the back of his pants and by the collar of his shirt, dragging him to her door and tossing him out onto the sidewalk. "Don't You EVER Come Back Here Again!"  
  
With sheer disgust, the man stood up, brushing the dirt off of himself. Looking around, he saw that the ruckus had caught the attention of the whole neighborhood. With an aggravated snarl, he stalked off down the lane towards center-city Buma...

* * *

Author's Note: Interesting way to re-start the story. It's been a while since I actually thought of rewriting this sequel, seeing as I still have yet to play Duel Saga.  
  
Uyoni Raze X- Should you read this story, I am back to writing it, and my Vahn is STILL out of character (though STILL not as much as yours =D)  
  
To all who tried reading this before, I am changing the ages of some of my characters, and have decided to stick to a different storyline than the original one I had chosen. This one promises to be better than the original as I now know alot more about the characters and game than I did when I first tried writing the original Return of Evil (Back then it was Juggernaut's Return, don't know how it's going to turn out this time, but hey, the Big J will definately make an apperance in this fic, he's way too cool not to.) 


	2. Travel Affairs

_**Legend of Legaia: Return of Evil**_

As told by: Stephen Karpa II

Chapter 2: Travel Affairs

With a loud roar, the brown bison went down, never to get up again. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, the warrior monk sat back to regain his breath. He had just exited the Ancient Wind Cave on the side of Sebuccus Islands, a four day trip in itself from Biron Monestary. Only five days ago he had recieved the mysterious message from a teacher at Sashia's monestary, a teacher named Sando.

The message beckoned him to join them in Vidna, as Sashia had something important for Gala. Without hesitation, the Master Teacher of the main monestary had immediately left under the orders of Zopu, setting out to find out what it was that had happened.

Standing up and adjusting his armbands, Gala continued on his way to Vidna. Each step took him through familiar lands, lands filled with memories.

On his left...

The fishing hole. The very same one where Vahn had caught the water lipp, an aquatic dwelling lippian beast. Gala remembered that day with great clarity...

The trio had just defeated the Mist of Sebuccus Islands and were out for a quick break before moving onto Karisto Kingdom. It was a hot day, one of those in which begged you to dive into a body of water, no matter how small. With the fishing set that was given to them in Vidna by the beach-goers, Vahn, Noa and Gala had decided to venture forth to the fishing spot.

They had arrived mid day, all three sweating under the sweltering sun. Noa was just dying to hit the water, already having doffed her clothing for a swimsuit Mei had made for her. Gala himself had settled down in a small patch of grass in the shade of a tree, retrieving his sketchbook to continue a drawing of Ozma he had started.

Rigging the fishing line, Vahn had cast his line out into the water, lazily kicking back, taking a break from the Save The World deal. It was nice to have some time to himself, being that in the past five months, they had not only defeated a Scimitaur named Xain, but had beaten a transfigured Songi, stopped Von Saryu from feeding women to a new beast called Juggernaut, and destroyed the Mist Generator under the control of it's master, Dohati.

Yes, it was nice to kick back.

SPLASH! A huge wave of water kicked up onto Vahn and Gala. Both dove to the side as Noa came crashing onto the shore, dazed to confused.

"Whoa...what happened?" She asked, getting to her feet and steadying herself.

Suddenly, Vahn's fishing pole began to jerk wildly in his hands, the tip bobbing up and down rapidly. With a huge tug, Vahn went soaring over thier heads into the water.

"Vahn! Gala, quick! We gotta save him!" Noa dove back into the water, only to be thrown out once again. "Hey, that's not Fair!" The pink of her hair soaring back towards Gala, colliding with him. Both fell to the ground in a jumble of arms, legs and Ra-Seru.

Again, in a huge wall of water, Vahn appeared above the waves, this time, his vest held in the jaws of an Aqua Lippian. With arms crossed, hair all over the place, and a sarcastic look on his face, he spoke up.

"Oh yeah, this whole Save the World thing gets better every minute..."

At that moment, the Lippian roared out, tossing Vahn onto the shore ontop of the human puzzle that was Noa and Gala. A quick untangle proved useless, as the more they tried to get up, the more they got tangled in each other. Though, after the Lippian ran forward, it didn't take the trio long to unmesh themselves.

As they took up thier stances, Gala rushed forward, aiming to use Ozma to deliver thier Thunder Punch, since that the Lippian was an aquatic dwelling bieng, it would be effected by the electricity.

Seeing it's mortal enemy element charging forward for the attack, the Lippian ducked off to the right of Gala's attack, bringing it's spiked arms to bear on Vahn. The Lippian hadn't figured on one thing though. During the battle against Songi's seru accomplices, the Viguro, Vahn had been able to accquire one through the special tactics detailed in a small ivory book.

It only took mere seconds for Vahn to call out the Viguro, the Electrical Element Seru, upon the Lippian.

As the world around them turned a dark shade of violet purple, a vortex of energy appeared behind the humans, directed at the watery plant. The Viguro came charging forth from the energy portal, coming to a crashing halt at the end, hissing and growling ominously.

The Viguro was one of the odder looking seru. With a triangular head and twin horns jutting out the back, recurving twice at intervals of seven inches, it almost looked like the beast that had attacked Rim Elm. It's body was very muscular, two shoulders looking like armored-pads. The arms were paper thin until they hit the elbows where they beefed up majorly, ending in two majorly evil looking claws on each hand. At the bottom of the body, there hung a tail, no legs. The tail was sectioned off in three pieces, all ending in a small spike.

As the Viguro began to gather energy between it's claws, the electrical force with which it used to attack. The ball of power kept growing until the Viguro couldn't hold it anymore. Surges of electricity began to pulse from the ball.

Finally, the seru threw it down at the Lippian, colliding with the ground, forming another electrical energy field around the monster. A funnel appeared down through the top of the field, leading right up to the Viguro. With one of it's powerful claws, it cast a bolt of lightning down upon the Lippian, defeating the monster in a thunderous blast.

The force of the attack was great enough that it blew a large divot in the ground, which began to fill up with water. As the water boiled up in the hole, fish began to fly out, jumping in all directions.

Vahn turned around to see the results of the attack, only to recieve a puffed up Spike Fish in the face. As it wriggled around, cutting into his skin, his arms pinwheeled as he fell backwards, finally grabbing the fish safely and discarding it from his face.

"Oh yeah...." He started, "...better every day..."

That was one of Gala's most memorable moments. Vahn's own seru had dealt himself damage. It was a sight to behold, watching Vahn run around with a Spike Fish embedding it's pointed defenses into Vahn's face. It took nearly three days before Gala and Noa stopped taunting Vahn about it.

As Gala reflected back on that, he crossed the bridge leading to Vidna, city of guided tours, and home of the windmills.


	3. Slight Information Stop people

Okay, this is a re-write of the Origins of the Mist Info Stop that was requested by a good author friend of mine, Uyoni Raze X. I'm writing this again due to the mistakes made in translating the game in the last version, and in THIS version, I will also add the Origins of Juggernaut and the Sim-Seru. This will be a full chapter of the story; so don't miss out on ANYTHING. Everything listed here is important to the original plotline of Legend of Legaia, and some of it even more important to Legaia: Return of Evil. Now let's get this infomercial started.

* * *

The Seru-Kai is the world where the Seru come from. This is a fact that we're all clear on, right? Okay. Inside the world of the Seru-Kai, there is an elixir of power that flows throughout the land. This, when brought into the physical world, becomes a dangerous substance. 

At the time, a war between the two great cities of Karisto Kingdom, Sol and Conkram, was taking place. Both sides had suffered heavy casualties. It was at this time when Sol sent in their secret weapon, a master swordsman named Gaza.

Gaza was the owner of a sword forged from the bodies of dead Seru, giving it magical abilities. He had dubbed this the 'Astral Sword'. With this sword, Gaza could move at unimaginable speeds, deal out intense damage, and severely wound if not kill anyone.

Conkram was racing to catch up in the war as they lost more and more soldiers to Gaza's skill. King Nebular and Queen Minea, the true rulers of Karisto, were evenly matched by the uprising of self-proclaimed Emperor Etora's descendant, Etora VIII. With their son, Prince Cort, at the head of the defense research, they were hopeful that a breakthrough would come.

* * *

But things were still slow in Prince Cort's research. Even with the help of Jette, the family servant, and a brilliant mind to boot, Cort could not figure a way to enhance the power of the Seru used in battle to be able to withstand the force of Gaza's Astral Slash. 

Just when they were about to give up, Cort stumbled across something that would change the history of Legaia forever. When experimenting with his gas-chemical augmenter shaft, a small thin trail of vapor formed inside the tube.

Perplexed by this, Cort tried placing a Seru inside of the tube and ran the simulation again.

The results he'd been looking for finally came. The Seru, which had been a newly found breed of the Iota Earth elemental, grew in size until it warped in dimension. A rift opened up and the shaft filled up with great puffs of a thick, white mist.

Overjoyed by his discovery, Cort was the first to try the new augmented power of the Seru. Unfortunately, what he did not take was that the mist formula, with which he had used to concoct the vapor, drove the Seru mad. The Iota had not absorbed enough to drive it insane, but had drunk in enough of the mist to possess it with evil intentions. Cort never stood a chance against the power of the Seru. But even though the beast was controlling him, a small piece of his humanity remained to fight back.

* * *

At this point in the game, Vahn, Noa and Gala arrive in the time set of the war. With the power of the Seru Flame, they had traveled through time in the Room of Mirrors to what would be Conkram of their past. With only the information that Queen Minea and King Nebular of their time had given them, Minea had requested that the trio go back to stop the Mist from escaping into the world. 

Being that Meta, Terra and Ozma were Ra-Seru, the people of the time thought of them as strange, seeing as they had unusual Seru. The people tried to charge them unruly rates for a hotel, but relented at the special unveiling of Cort's new project tomorrow.

When the unveiling goes on, Gala quickly recognizes the vapor as the Mist that covers Legaia in their time. With Meta, Terra and Ozma formulating a plan, the heroes storm the castle basement laboratory in an attempt to shut off the machine and stop the Mist's onslaught before it happens. If they could stop it here, then the Mist in the future never would exist.

(Provided no one else took up the project…but we all know that didn't happen…)

In the end, Cort and Jette built the Absolute Fortress in the Karistoan Cascadia Range in the northern most part of the kingdom where they began the Mist project anew. Along with help from the other three Regents, Prince Cort being the fourth, they developed a replica of the machine in the basement of the castle, and dubbed it The Mist Generator. The Absolute Fortress held the largest of four generators that were to be built in the next two and one half years.

* * *

This is the Origin of the Mist.

* * *

And this is how Juggernaut came to be…

* * *

Now, after the Mist generators in Karisto had been established, a nightmare began. Cort knew very well that he could not control the power of the Mist, but instead, he decided to work the chaos it caused in his favor. 

Sending out Regent Zora to the Floating Castle, he sent her to Uru Mais, the portal through which the Seru came into this world. It was here that hunters from Sol came to capture Seru to experiment with them, as Cort had done. But the chemists of Sol did not just experiment with Seru. They bred them as well.

Through chemically crossbreeding Seru, they were able to make what was called a Simulated Seru, or simply, a Sim-Seru. These creatures, while not directly Seru, shared all the attributes and abilities of the Seru it was spawned from.

* * *

Cort wished to have this knowledge to create the ultimate Seru army, so he sent Zora out with a Puera, a Seru master of trickery. With this Seru, Zora could assume any form she wished, and this form to assume would be that of a female Sol huntress. 

Capturing a hunter by the light of day, Zora returned him to the Floating Castle, and tortured the poor soul until he gave the secrets of meta-forming Sim-Seru to the woman. She in turn passed it onto Cort.

With this knowledge, Cort could create Seru for his own purposes. Discarding his original choice Iota Seru, Cort fashioned himself something new, something deadly. The Seru had no name, but was the key to awakening a monster that slowly formed in Cort's plans…

* * *

Dohati, the Sebuccus Islands Regent representative of Karisto Kingdom, returned to his homeland with a Sim-Seru of his own. He, as well as the other four regents had fallen under the power-lust of the insane Seru they all wore. 

With two objectives at hand, Dohati set to constructing a castle of his own, outside the rule of Bon Saryu, the king of Ratayu and the Sebuccus islands. Having it built by Seru, Dohati paid a visit to Bon Saryu, offering him a little present in return for his allowance of the Mist Castle.

The power of a Sim-Seru.

Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to Saryu, this Seru had been given only one set of instructions.

* * *

Live, as you believe Saryu would. 

Build a machine under the castle to house a new type of Seru.

And reproduce this juggernaut continuously until informed otherwise.

* * *

Saryu had no idea what that would mean until he placed the Seru on his head. It assimilated with him, and the coding began to run through Saryu's mind. 

_Reproduce this juggernaut continuously until informed otherwise._

And so it began. The Sacrifice of many young women to the monster, known as the Seru Brides of Ratayu, had begun to be taken away. Shortly after the first monster was finished, the Mist rolled in from Dohati's castle, stopping production indefinitely.

* * *

When Vahn, Noa and Gala revived the Genesis Tree of Mount Letona and drove the Mist from Ratayu, Von Saryu, the Seru form of Saryu, once again followed it's programming. Upon the return of the trio to the town, they were immediately accosted with insults and tears, children crying in the streets and locked doors around the city. 

The only place open to them was the Inn, and inside, it seemed that a dilemma had come. The daughter of the keeper had been summoned to be a Seru Bride. Noa, not wanting to have this happen, offered to take the place of the girl, and so she went to the castle instead.

When Terra sent out a distress call, Vahn and Gala stormed the castle and guards, pushing past the Kemaro Seru earth elemental guards, and deep into the mountain behind the castle.

What awaited them there was horrifying.

Suspended above a void amidst tubes upon tubes of women, was a monstrosity like no other. The beast was larger than the fabled Flying Cart-Seru that had disappeared more than ten years ago with the arrival of the Mist.

Double recurved horns sat atop the things' head, accentuating the giant white eyes and sharp fangs that lined a mouth big enough to swallow a human in one bite. Though still without legs, the beast fluttered on top of what appeared to be a giant yolk sac, the source of the machine that drained the life force of the women that were abducted into the castle by Saryu's guards.

Called by Saryu, Juggernaut, the beast looked every bit as strong as the name suggested. It was only after the trio had beaten Von Saryu and returned him to his normal state, that they found out a full version of this monster had been set loose on three specific locations.

Rim Elm.

Snowdrift Cave.

And Biron Monastery.

The creature was a Sim-Seru that did not need the Mist to survive, only to replenish its magical powers. Once the monster reached full size, it was designed to live on its own, returning to the Absolute Fortress to recharge its Mist Elixir, the source of the Mist breathed into the Mist Generators.

The entire Juggernaut scheme was a plan to win the war with Sol, but shortly after the battle halted to a screeching stop due to the Mist, Cort decided to make this Juggernaut into something of a pet and servant.

And so it began.

But one thing the game never tells us is this.

What ever happened to the Juggernaut being created underneath Ratayu? Could the machine once again be started and reawaken the monster sleeping within? And who would be the next in line to do so?

* * *

Author's Note: To those of you who are wondering, I did this to clear up some confusion in the plot of the original Legend of Legaia. It's true, you never do know what happens to the Jugg Jugg underneath Ratayu, save that when he went out, he went out with a roar. And if you go back at Level 99, you can get the Evil Talisman.  
(Lets you use Cort's Evil Seru Magic, summoning Juggernaut in the same way that he does.)

So when I wrote this, I had nothing but the game history in mind, and I tried to keep it as close to the story as possible. The timing may be off a little bit on some aspects, but mostly it's on target.

Uyoni, This Chappy Is Just For You! XD

-Holy Swordsman XRaptor-


	4. Disheveled & DownTrodden

Chapter 3: Disheveled and Down-trodden

With the breeze to his back, he strolled across the bridge into the main streets of Vidna. The townspeople waved to him cheerfully. Popularity was one thing well earned after saving the world. But he passed it off as a mere greeting. There was a purpose for his being here. The rolled letter in hand proved it.

Making his way through the crowds, he pushed onward, up the stairs and past the community swimming pool. Past the home with the underground shelter. And right next door. The insignia of Biron still flew with pride and dignity. He sighed, a welcome sign after the journey to get here. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door to the building and walked inside.

The greeter was on duty as usual. He met him with great happiness, almost a pure joyous relief.

"Ah, Master Gala. I see that all is well with you? And you've recieved Mistress Sashia's letter! Oh good." He spoke rather quickly, unbecoming of one trained in patience and discipline.

"Yes, I've heard of the matter. Could you direct me to Miss Sashia? I believe it's urgent that we speak together...something about this letter indicated that I arrived as quickly as possible." Gala nodded.

"Oh, of course Sir. Right this way." The man stated, motioning for Gala to follow.

The made their way past the monks, whom where performing their daily tasks. Down the hall to the last door. He knocked gently on the hard, oaken surface.

"Mistress...Master Gala has arrived."

There were sounds of shuffling behind the door. A shattering noise echoed loudly throughout the building as a piece of something or other broke inside the room. Becoming a little perturbed at the prolonged wait, Gala himself pushed on through the door.

"Oh my God!" A voice shrieked.

Gala immediately back-pedaled through the opening as a vase came flying at his head. He ducked out of the way as it exploded into tiny pieces.

"Do you have no manners what so ever!" The voice cried out again. Hurried footsteps were accompanied by the sounds of dresser drawers opening and closing very rapidly. Finally, after what seemed like fifteen minutes, though in reality only five, Sashia exited the room, beckoning the two out to the main room.

Sashia looked a disheveled mess. Her usually beautiful emerald hair was a mess on her shoulders. The tunic she wore was stained with a liquid that smelled of alcohol. Her sandals were coming apart at the seams, and heavy bags hung from beneath her crystaline blue eyes.

"What has happened to you Sashia?" Gala demanded.

"It...it is nothing, really. You just caught me at a very bad time...oh..." She seemed very fidgety. It was as if the woman could not stand still. Such a fever must have been going around...Gala decidedly took two steps back.

"I believe you had an urgent reason to speak with me?" The Master Teacher continued on.

"Oh...yes, yes...how could I have forgotten..." She ran back to her room, where in more clatter was heard. Upon returning, she handed Gala a few scrap pieces of parchment. These two were soaked, and smelled heavily of wine and assorted spirits.

Gala tilted his head down to the papers, turning an eye up to look at Sashia. It took her a few moments to notice he wasn't reading...

"What? Is there something wrong? Are they the wrong papers?" She stared at him as though she'd been zombified, a dull expression hanging over her pretty face.

"What has been going on recently? You are in no condition to teach these monks! Look at You!" Gala began to lecture. "These papers, as well as youself, smell like they've been to the tavern and back, you look like an animal has had its way with you, tell me what's happened?"

Sashia began to tremble slightly, then almost like a falling stack of unsteady bricks, fell right into Gala. He barely had time to react as the sobbing woman collapsed onto him. He caught her, unsure of how to handle the situation. The only other time he'd encountered a crying woman was when Noa had been around. With her, he simply passed it off and went about his business.

But this woman, much older than Noa, had just burst into tears in a fit state of insanity and sadness.

"This has been nothing but a burden! If I knew a message from Hari was this much trouble, I never would have asked for it!" She cried, soaking the shoulder hem of Gala's tunic.

"Is this what the urgent message was about?" Gala pondered. A message from Hari WAS in fact a large deal. Such things usually meant change, and in Legaia, change had proven to be a bad thing. "Tell me Sashia, what has been foretold?"

When she had calmed down considerably, Sashia recited the prophecy from the paper to Gala. He sat stunned.

"Fire, Thunder and Air are soon behind...does this mean I shall see Ozma again?" He thought aloud.

"I do not know. But I must find these four people and stones. What am I supposed to do Gala?" The plea for advice was a heavy question. Once before did he make decisions that may have destroyed the fate of the world. He could not do so again.

"I am not sure. But whether or not I like it, it seems that Rem and Tieg have once again called us to arms. Ozma...I do miss him. But to require seven of us...that must be a terrible power...a greater foe than Cort himself was."

"Perhaps Mr. Vahn and Ms. Noa know something about these stones?" Sashia suggested.

"There is the off chance. But I doubt it. Still, it would not hurt to try." Gala said, sitting down at a desk to begin a letter.

* * *

Vahn had just exited the Flying Carts. Though no longer powered by magic, the carts were still in service. To replace the giant seru, the people of Octam had taken a page out of Vidna's book and brought steam into play. Now, with a total of three conjoined carts and two steam engines, the Flying Carts coasted along metal rails to and from Karisto.

Feeling a bit winded, Vahn stopped inside the waiting room inside the top of the tower. He sat down and gazed out the window, surveying most of the northern islands in the Sebucus chain. It was a sight to behold as deer and other assorted wild creatures made their way across the wide open plains and fields, ever so often stopping for a rest.

Just as he was about to get up for the elevator, a burning sensation erupted in his leg, pounding like a hammer to hot steel in the forge. The pain dropped him to the floor, sending its tendrils through his body. It suddenly became very hard to breathe. The room began to fade from view.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was someone rushing through the door.

* * *

As the day drew to a close, Noa began her usual chores. The dishes were done, and thanks to a local woman's kind heartedness, Noa had been able to tackle the laundry while the lady watched Cort for her. It was amazing how she'd gone from living in a cave with a wolf, to being a super-heroine and practically saving the world.

'I bet mother and father would have been proud...' Noa thought contentedly to herself.

'Noa...' A voice echoed in her mind.

Noa looked about the room, ready to pounce and kill if that child services goon had come back. But a quick scan proved her to be alone, with Cort sound asleep in his bed.

'Noa, do not fear dear child, it is we...the three faces of Hari...'

"Hari? Is it really you?" Noa asked aloud.

'Yes, but this is not the time, nor the place for idle chat. We've come with a message for you, and time grows short, so listen well.'

"Uh-huh. I'm listening."

'Once again evil has returned from the dark. Powers of creatures untold soon to spark. Magic not dead, but asleep in plain sight. Seven to save the future from plight.

Save not thyself, but the one you care for most. To be sure that once again, they will not boast. To be certain of glory, do not let them be...evil as before, living in treachery.

To take this lightly brings doom to you all. Humanity again soon from the brink will fall. Let not the evil grip the one whom is young. If so, life will be like the song half-past sung...'

Noa listened, perplexed and confused by the message. But one thing was definate. Someone was after Cort. And once again, the world was depending on the outcome of his choosing. Noa had tried to raise Cort without corruption, for fear of him returning to his former self.

Once, when her dreams brought back images of the Bio-Castle and of the mighty beast called Juggernaut, she awoke in deep prespiration, running to check on her brother. A triple take was needed to reassure her that he still lay sound asleep in his bed.

'Noa...' Hari's voice snapped her back to reality. 'Have you listened well, dear child?'

"Yeah, I think I got it all...but what do I do with this?" She asked.

'Seek out your comrades of old. The fight begins anew. The power of the Genesis Trees is still with you...' And with that, Hari's presence vanished.

Without further ado, Noa began to pack her bags. Not knowing where she was going, or who would take care of Cort while she was gone, Noa grabbed everything she could think of needing. The last thing was the battle claw from the shelf.

Making up her mind, Noa placed her bag at the foot of her bed. She would leave tomorrow.

* * *

AN: There ya go peoples, another A+ chapter! I hope... . Hari is once again playing an integral part of this story. Isn't it amazing how he shows up in random places to screw up people's lives? XD At any rate, R&R, gimme some questions to answer, I dunno. 


	5. More Prophecy

Vahn awoke at the Inn of Octam, a sparsely decorated place with only five private rooms. Sitting up in bed, he realized that it was morning, and that for once since it had begun, his leg did not hurt. Looking around the room, he saw a dresser, and an end table. But what caught his eye were the red stained metal surgical tools on a tray on the table.

Looking down at himself, Vahn noticed he wasn't in his usual clothing, but a two piece unit, shorts and a thin shirt. Frantically lifting up the leg of the shorts, he saw stitches holding his skin together at his thigh-hip area.

Just then, a man dressed in traditional doctorate's clothing walked in, a clipboard in his hand.

"Ah, Vahn...the Hero of Fire. I can't tell you what a shock it was to know that you were my patient. You probably don't remember me...but I know you very well." He said, a kind look on his face.

"No...can you tell me what's happened?" Vahn asked, suddenly feeling a little light headed. He quickly lay back down on the bed.

"Well, it seems that during your journey, all those heroics damaged your hip. The bone was splintering. So I went in and patched it up for you. Now, I must insist that you do not take on any more quests to save anyone for quite some time, that leg needs time to heal." He said, laughing a bit.

"Yeah...sure..." Vahn returned, a little unsure of his reply. Injured? Broken bones?

He had never had a single broken bone, even after every hit he took on that journey. And now, it seemed that with Meta gone, his body had deteriorated...did Meta have the ability to hold him together as he had to help him fight? Was that how they had escaped from Juggernaut and Songi? From all of those seru?

From fate?

Was it because of the Ra-Seru that they time and again stole their lives back from the jaws of death? And ONLY because of them?

The thought was rather depressing. Almost as if all of those hours practicing and training with Noa and Gala in their spare time had meant nothing. Had their journey been nothing but the pursuit of a goal? Not a learning experience?

No, they had learned much about the time when they were trapped in the Mist. For three of his years before the Mist came, Vahn had been able to live without a care. At the age of three, he remembered running around outside of the town in the wheat fields as the workers brought in the harvest.

He had learned about the politics in the other two regions of Legaia. That each had their own rule. And Karisto had two, until Conkram fell. He also learned that the Emperor of Sol was who started the war. The uprising against the royal family of Conkram, including Noa. Had he known that previously, would his decision to revive the Genesis Tree of Sol had changed? They could have spared Gaza's life...

* * *

As Gala sat pondering the meaning of the prophecy in the main hall of Vidna's monestary the next morning, Sashia had been given time to recover. He watched the amber light of the sun creeping through the window. Stepping up slowly, Gala collected the calling gong and ringer, making his way to the hallway. Rhythmically, he began to strike the gong lightly, as the Rising Ceremony dictated. It was to call all monks to awaken, and therefore could not be loud and obnoxious.

The sounds of the monks stirring in their respective rooms was enough for Gala. He returned to the main hall, taking one last look at his notes. He had taken them during the recitation of the prophecy that Sashia had done earlier yesterday afternoon. Little illustrations accompanied his jotts, meanings and deep religious sayings written here and there, all in an attempt to unravel the mystery of the prophecy.

'Gala...'

The monk knew the disembodied voice right away...

"Hari...I was hoping you would pay me visit..." Gala spoke.

'Gala, I come to you at time of great need..." Hari replied.

"Hari, I am a faithful servant of Biron, who serves Rem and Tieg...I will do anything you ask. But answer my one question..." Gala began.

'Yes...' Was all Hari said.

"Thank you..." Gala spoke again. That one word was enough to reassure him. Ozma was coming back. "But I have another..."

'Vahn, the Hero of Fire, is no longer of the flame.  
To another of his kin, time comes to play the game.  
Young blossom of the Earth, on the surface they flow...  
...in the stream of time, forward with you they will go.

Young Noa, the innocent Heroine of the Breeze...  
has time come short, everything left to sieze.  
Another comes here, of delicate past.  
Another comes here, chosen at last.

For you Gala, Hero of the Bolt...  
Regret will kick likethe hooves of the colt.  
Feelings of shame now come to return.  
To feel loss at the passing of the one you did spurn.

Take not these words lightly, they are from on high.  
Time of the end now soon, doth draw nigh.  
Of the Ra-Seru reunion, you know now your trail.  
Of the hero's gathering, it's imperative not to fail...'

Gala stood, now pondering the meaning of this new message.

"Hari? What does this mean?" He asked.

But Hari had gone.

"Figures...oh hell..." He said, understanding the first part of the message. Vahn wasn't a chosen of the Ra-Seru Warriors anymore...but a relation of his was? Who? The young blossom of the Earth...that was what Hari had said. He thought momentarily...did Vahn have any siblings? Surely his father was no young blossom...OF COURSE! Vahn DID have a younger sister...

Blossoms were sometimes used to describe young women who had just reached maturity...if he was correct, Vahn's sister had just turned thirteen...She was the new Warrior of Fire! Well, true, Noa had been thirteen when she had first met Vahn, and Gala as well...but surely, this child must have had more of an education? Oh gods, if he had to deal with another episode of Noa as she had been, he would die. Hopefully, this time around would be easier...

But that second passage...time has come short for Noa? Surely, that could not imply what it sounded like...And the part about himself feeling shame at the loss of someone he had spurned? Things were beginning to come together...and he was not liking it one bit. He had no feelings towards Noa...she was too young for him, after all. But at her passing? Was that what the second passage had meant? Noa would die?

No...he was definately not liking how the outcome was looking...


	6. The Calling of the Warrior

_Somewhere deep in the bowels of the mountainside of Ratayu, a strange shadow lurked in the darkness of the Simulant Seru chamber. With only the light of the machine to work by, he began to manipulate the controls with a graced expertise that could come only from years of having operated equipment much like the set before him as his hands washed over the controls in a graceful combination of button strokes and lever pulls._

_His time was not over. No…it was just beginning._

_And the world outside was none the wiser to what was about to happen to them._

_"Oh…those fools…" He spoke softly as the machinery in the cavernous chamber began to exude a soft glowing light. One by one, the lamps began to brighten, and the room was washed in an ethereal glow as it had been only a short few years before._

_There came an echo from down below the main platform on which the main module sat, as the swirling vortex before it opened once again. But this time…the purpose was much more than to create tools for war._

_This was personal._

_And every one of the surface dwellers would pay for ruining his life. Even if it was only three of them that had done it in the first place._

_There was a resounding roar and a flash of light as a huge mass of flesh, shell and organs slowly lifted its way back from the depths to which it was banished._

_"My day has come at last…"_

_-------------------------------------------------- _

The sun shone brightly down upon the outer edge village of Rim Elm as the winds blew calmly across the plains surrounding it. In the two years since the wall had been torn down by the efforts of the massive Simulant Seru Juggernaut as he tried to absorb the town…peace had returned to the otherwise normal village and its inhabitants.

Now renowned for the famous clothing that was made by the mother-daughter team of Maya and Mei of Drake Kingdom, it had become a bustling hub of commerce. The Inn had taken on a whole new look as it had been built over what remained of the remnants of the Memoria Statue cave, with a third floor added on to house more guests. The beach was now a popular resort area and since the Dance King of Sol himself had visited, a new cabana club had been opened on the north side of town.

But for the villagers themselves, life continued on, aside from the now normal crowds that had become ever more prominent in the past year.

All in all, things had become quite optimistic…

Save for one of the people. As of late, her dreams had been filled with the most awful things, becoming more nightmarish as the days wore on. Sure…she would put on a face for the crowd, being the sister of the Ra-Seru Hero of Fire…but what would it do for her if anyone found out?

Nene had plastered herself in the Genesis garden that morning, steadily praying to the God Tieg for an answer to her dreams. After hearing of her brother's encounter with the Half-Seru being…she thought perhaps that maybe…just maybe…he might answer her…

"You know…you have chores to do today young lady…" A steady thick voice called out from behind her.

Looking up to the sun at its midday position, she almost cursed herself for her absentmindedness.

"I'm sorry father. I've just had so much on my mind lately." Nene spoke without turning around. Val was the only one who could've known she'd be here. And being her father…she hoped that he would understand.

"Look…I know you're going through…whatever this is…" He began before choosing to dictate his words more carefully… "But you do know that whatever it is isn't as important as your responsibilities around here. Am I correct?"

"Yes father." She sighed unwillingly; exasperated as she recalled everything that had to be done that day.

"So…what are you going to do about it?" Val asked in a lighter tone.

"I'll be home soon. I'm almost done here anyway." Nene responded, shifting her kneeling position as she rocked back to sit down.

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Val nodded and walked away towards the town up the hill. Nene, on the other hand, couldn't have been more frustrated with her father.

'I guess though…I've no reason to be. I've not told anyone about this yet…' She thought to herself as a calm, almost serene feeling began to descend upon her. It almost felt as if there was someone with her there…consoling, telling her it would be all right…

-Dear child…why are you so distressed?-

"Huh?" Nene bolted upright, her keen eyes scanning the area around her.

-I know you…and I'm sure you remember me…at least somewhat. You were two years younger last time our paths crossed…- The voice echoed, though still sounding as if there was someone standing right next to her.

"Who are you?" The girl sat back down, pondering the very question she had just asked.

-As I said…I know you know who I am. Now…reach out your arm to the Genesis Tree. The time comes for you to fulfill your destiny…-

"What do you mean…my destiny?"

-Touch the Genesis Tree…that is all I ask of you at this moment…-

Nene knelt and crept towards the tree on her hands and knees, staring in awe at the very tree that had once saved the village. Reaching out her left hand, she placed it on the trunk of the old tree, the wood surprisingly soft under her skin…

And warm…

-Nene…open your mind…feel my presence…-

And in a flash of light, Nene's world seemed to go red…then black in the next instant…

-------------------------------------------------

(AN: Usually, I separate my scenes with the line tool...but today, it's decided to be a bit unruly, so I'll just try and make the break noticable enough that it doesn't freak anyone out. On a good note: WOOT! UPDATE! XD)


	7. The Beginning of the Gathering

With a bag fully packed and ready to go, Noa took one last glance about her home. What new troubles had chaos brought into play that would require the powers once needed to keep the world from destruction and self annihilation? It was a completely foreign concept to her, though not as bad as the idea that she may once again be chancing her life on an hourly basis just to stay alive. One person came slowly to mind though, as she stood in silent reflection…

'_Vahn…I hope you're okay…'_

Slowly, without so much as a second thought, she took the hallway back through the kitchen, pulled Cort from his room and tucked him in a travel-seat strapped to her chest and returned to the living room, pulling the bag around her shoulder. One final glance around her home and everything in it was the only action left as she closed the door, locking it up tight.

The air was a tender temperature, caressing her skin as she stepped into the sunlight. Even with the warm breezes drifting down from the nearby Nivora Mountains, there was a slight chill that seemed to seep into her, almost as if the world itself knew more of the coming danger that Hari had warned her about. Quickly adjusting Cort's seat, she made her way out of town, passing by the villagers, who all waved a cheerful good morning.

The plains of Karisto Kingdom stretched out seemingly endless, until they met the mountainside that surrounded the towering city of Sol. But the pass through the mountains was wide and flat, winding down around to the station where the Flying Carts docked before returning to Octam in the Sebuccus Island chain.

As the day began to wear on, Noa's travels brought her closer to the tight valley that surrounded the city of Sol, the mountains high on both sides. This area had been recently brought to the news media's attention as a few random travelers had been attacked recently by a native animal group called the Grudes. The human-like monsters stood about six feet in height at their tallest, walking bipedal to scavenge for food. But the most dangerous part about the Grudes was their left appendages. Each one sported a very muscular left arm, covered in semi-precious jewels akin to sapphires, to the point where no skin was visible. At the end of the arms, twin claws the half the length of a human arm jutted out in wicked looking weapons.

As Noa began to make her way into the valley, it became apparent that the reports had not been rumor…there were Grude tracks everywhere. One could not mistake the near human footprints, tangled with a long drag mark to the left of it, where the Grude's oversized arm drug hard along the ground. The further along Noa proceeded into the valley…the more tracks there seemed to be, and it was becoming apparent that they did not like anything invading upon their territory. The scattered remains of so many of the native worm populous told the story as body after body of the giant insects littered the ground.

_'This doesn't look good…'_ Noa's mind echoed her worst fears as she stood momentarily and gazed at the decimated worms.

The thought had preoccupied her mind so much as she started off again that the light shadow lurking in the nearby trees had gone unnoticed…

------------------------------------

_Floating somewhere beyond the realm of the physical, one particular soul found it rather amusing to watch what his life had done to those whom he had pursued and dogged the entire length of their journey. Not only had his actions caused them each a rather large value of pain, misery and suffering…_

_But something about them just had him coming back for more…even in these new surroundings. Places that even he himself could not fathom the meaning of. Pausing momentarily for just a minute on the one he had once deemed his equal, watching the frazzled warrior pace the floor of the monastery he was visiting, the soul traversed the boundaries of the physical realm to check up on the youngest of the group._

_Gazing upon the vast valley of the Solarian mountain ranges, both east and west…he found his subject wandering amidst the rolling hills that doted the region…unaware of the danger that was about to be had. He watched for a few moments as the girl crept ever cautiously forward with his former master, now a child, bundled to her chest…the local wildlife about to give her a five star greeting. Or, for that matter…possibly a twenty-one gun send off, to coin the phrase._

_Something, however…decidedly picked at him._

_Was it that Cort, the one whom had blessed him with a Sim-Seru…was about to be attacked and possibly killed?_

_No…he held no true allegiance to anyone but himself._

_Then what was it?_

_Something was telling him to interfere in the situation. The question was…if he decided to…what would he do, and how would it be done?_

_Wait…why would he care in the first place? Had not both of these two particular people had a hand in his undoing? Was it not because of both this sister, her brother…his utter rival, and some blue haired brat…that he was now floating here…without a body?_

_Still…there was a persistent nagging feeling. Something that told him he would be able to get ahead in this little game…if only he would dare to venture forth back into the physical realm._

_"Ah Hell with it…" He echoed into the nothingness that surrounded him, concentrating what remained of his severely diminished powers into one essence. Gathering it to himself, he grouped the entire mass of both he and the energy…and propelled himself towards the Solarian landscape, hoping he would not be too late and miss out on the fun…_

_--------------------------------------------- _

A sudden roar caught Noa by surprise as a large shadow descended upon her, the wind whipping past her face as she turned to see the gigantic claws of the Grude sweeping mere centimeters from the tip of her nose. Instinctively ducking back, Noa made ready to protect herself and Cort from the monster. Though without the aide of Terra…and unable to perform any but the weakest of the combined arts she had learned from the travels…it would prove to be a daunting task.

The Grude lumbered forward, dragging the menacing arm and claws the entire way, each footstep putting out a slight tremor as he gained ground on Noa. Preparing for an attack, Noa gathered her energies, those of which flowed around her of the natural elements, and stood ready in defense, stone solid. The monster stepped up, swung its massive arm wide, and once again, barely missed Noa as she sidestepped, strapping her battle claw to her right hand. In the next moment, she struck for the Grude's face, aiming the metallic claws of the weapon with practiced precision accuracy.

The monster roared and reeled backwards as it became blind, a rage overcoming the beast. It bellowed out at her, flexing the muscles in its arms as a red haze of energy began to float around it. Without warning, it dove at her, moving faster than she had ever seen one of the Grudes move, its arm swinging erratically in any which way it assumed she would've been standing.

Barely managing to duck off to the side, Noa checked Cort to make sure he was still safe in his little pouch, before preparing to strike the Grude once again. But that proved to be fruitless…the thing was right on top of her, its voice carrying to the ends of the valley as it roared in anger and malice. No sooner had she finished ducking one swing of the arm did another gigantic arc trace itself towards her.

The monster had become infuriated beyond belief. Knowing it was only mere inches away from hitting its target; the Grude took yet another wide swing…and connected.

Noa felt the wind rushing past her before she felt the impact of the claws upon her face…and was flying through the air before she knew what had happened. She bounced roughly a few times upon her back before coming to a stop a couple yards from where she had just been standing, dazed to confused.

The Grude stepped up to its fallen victim, a roar of triumph echoing through the mountainside. It raised its giant left arm, the claws glinting in the mid-noon sun…and went airborne. The monster had been knocked off its feet by something invisible…some force that drew the breeze in its wake. The Grude fell to the ground about twenty feet away…not moving.

As Noa sat up and blinked the stars from her vision, a presence settled on her, something that felt familiar…yet somehow cold…calculating…and vindictive all at the same time.

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_'Okay…I'm here. Now what do I do?' He thought to himself as he hovered over the girl. He had not only saved on of his greatest enemies…and his former master, but now he was stuck on the physical plane without a purpose._

_'Looks like I'm hanging around for a bit…'_


End file.
